Testimonials

THE WAY TO BE HAPPY IS TO MAKE OTHERS HAPPY!

I was in Terai, the southern part of Nepal, on that 25th of April 2015 when the earth started to tremble under my feet and immediately I heard people screaming and frantically running out from their homes. What a shock!!! Then we got the news of the growing number of deaths and of the abundant destruction in many areas of the country. That night I kept thinking about what had just happened and I was asking myself and God if there was a purpose to my being in that precious country that I dearly love during that crucial time. On the following day I made a phone call to my sweet wife in Italy and the decision was done for me to remain there to help for the following 2 months. As I returned to Kathmandu it was another shock for me, Kathmandu had become a big tent-camp and seeing first hand all that destruction was really heartbreaking for me. I will never forget my first night in that tent on the outskirts of Kathmandu. As soon as we pulled out my tent, many from that camp came to help to put it up and I didn’t have to move a finger. I felt immediately at ease and welcome by those suffering people and at home in that situation. On the following weeks I lived the most unforgetable experience of my life which gave me much more of what I have been able to give. The incredible endurance and patience of the Nepalese was simply astonishing for me. I have done 40 years of social work and did many humanitarian projects in different continents of the world, yet my time in Nepal turned out to be the most life changing experience of my entire life. By then, my friends and some NGOs abroad had started sending me funds to be able to better help and, thanks to the financial help of many, I was able to join in different projects together with many volunteers from Nepal and from abroad. I felt like I only had to say YES to that Voice telling me to remain there and that the road was already paved for me as many opportunities to help arouse. I found myself involved in delivering aid to different villages, bringing school material and uniforms to schools, organizing health camps, building temporary shelters, doing clown shows to encourage afflicted people, etc. So much happened and is still happening. As a matter of fact it was at that time that some friends and myself had the idea to work side by side on a partnership with other NGOs to better help many and this gave slowly the birth to the Association Together for Nepal to which I’m fully dedicated and committed to, believing that the best way we can live our lives is by showing love and concern to others.